Closing Blog

As I now rarely post to this Blog I have decided to close it. I use Facebook extensively and it allows me to post my news and photos and reach my friends and family.

September 2012

The first day of spring and it 's actually a pleasant sunny day - but definitely not hot! News involving loved ones is a bit mixed - Michael McCutcheon (Leonie's partner and our first friend when we moved into Palmerston Rd 22 years ago) has throat cancer and underwent a huge operation about 10 days ago to remove half his palate and some of his pharynx. He has a tracheostomy, can't speak or eat and is still looking most unwell, but the surgeons are happy with his progress so far. Once the surgery has healed he will need a course of radiotherapy. When we have visited him in the RAH he seems pleased to see us but is easily tired and our visits have been short.
Our daughter in law, Jen is 11 weeks pregnant ( egg donation and Joshua's sperm) and although she is happy to have morning sickness, I can't rejoice yet. Anything could happen! It has been an emotional and dramatic 3 years for them, trying IVF and even an egg donation from Jen's biological sister - all unsuccessful, and of course, I am hoping that this time there will be a happy outcome with a term baby, healthy and normal.
On the home front, Eion has already booked and planned a holiday for us next March - a week in Hong Kong using up some free miles awarded to us by Singapore Airlines. And my medical school year is holding our 40th anniversary reunion in April. As my two big sisters who have previously been our house and animal sitters while we went away have indicated that they can no longer do this, we are asking the 23 year old daughter of a friend to do the baby sitting. She has a degree in animal sciences and just loves our dogs and the cat - she has met them on several occasions already. Still there'll be a lot of water under the bridge before either of these events occurs.

August 2012

Winter is with us and we are very much looking forward to Spring and warming up. Eion and I had a truly marvellous tour of Northern Europe in June - the cruise around Norway was spectacular and the cruise on the Baltic Sea included the magnificence of St Petersburg.Our ship was luxury from stem to stern and our cabin with its balcony was a comfortable and spacious "home base" for the land excursions. Our dining companions for the second part of the journey were lovely - Jim and Susan from Seattle, USA and Braha and Moshe from Haifa, Israel. We thoroughly enjoyed our precruise stay in Amsterdam - gorgeous city - and our post cruise stay in Copenhagen although the weather there was rather depressing. 6 days in Singapore on the way home was a relaxing way to wind down - what a fantastic city it is, always something new and exciting to see. From the trip overall, Eion has over 2000 photos but I have made hard copy albums of about 600. Memories forever.
No trips planned for the next year or so - really, there are only a couple of places in Asia that we want to visit.
The next expenditure is a new car - Eion has ordered a Mazda CX5 and it should arrive in about a month.

He is doing very well with regards to his prostate cancer - no sign of recurrence or spread and the side effects are well under control. However, Leonie's partner  Michael has oral cancer and is facing invasive surgery and radiotherapy - needless to say they are both terrified and we are all feeling helpless - can only offer moral support and all our love. The next 6-8 weeks will reveal whether the treatment achieves anything.

Another Fringe over.

March is nearly finished and the "mad" part of it is over for us. We saw some great shows at The Fringe but the highlight was "Soap" - a circus performance in, on, around and above bath tubs. Spectacular acrobatics, aerial work, juggling, modern dance and comedy with an amazing opera inspired musical background. Also thoroughly enjoyed the comedians, Hannah Gadsby and Peter Berner, an excellent Bob Dylan tribute concert from Aussie Bob and the E-Type Jazz concert was toe-tapping dynamic stuff.
Eion has been busy planning and booking our next big overseas trip. In late May we leave for Amsterdam and then take a cruise through the Norwegian fjords and around the Baltic Sea before another stop in Copenhagen and a week in Singapore on the way home.
Before then we have a long weekend in Sydney for Joshua's 40th birthday. Fancy my baby boy being 40! We have bought him a beautiful set of hard back books - The Complete Calvin and Hobbes - he will always be my special Calvin.
The dogs are fairly healthy at present - Frog's heart condition is responding well to medication and her arthritis has also improved with daily anti-inflammatories. Mind you, her pills cost the earth! Dizzy continues to be our inscrutable cat but she is getting slower and more inclined to affection as she ages.
Bridge Club twice a week is still a major entertainement for me but my partner (Betty) and I struggle to match it with the better players. And Latin continues to bring me joy and intellectual challenges.
PS: My intention to stop smoking has not been entirely successful!

Goodbye 2011

Another Christmas and another year has passed. We had a marvellous Christmas Day with friends and family dropping in over the course of the day and several joining us for lunch. We happily showed our photos from our cruise to New Zealand - stunning scenery ashore and much luxury on board. I didn't sail very well in the first day on the Tasman Sea but after some medication, found my sea legs. Eion had no problem at all. We encountered some rough weather - 5 metre swells and 50 knot winds and for a while were completely fog bound as well. The towns and cities we visited were all interesting in their own way but Napier with its art deco architecture and style was a highlight, and the train or coach trips out into the countryside were excellent. Eion has realised that he prefers to spend a few days in a city so he can absorb its atmosphere, but even so we are looking forward to the cruise around Norway and the Baltic next year.

I failed miserably in continuing at the gym for more than a few months but am now trying a clinical Pilates class run by a physiotherapist. Not sure if I have the self discipline to persevere with this either. Although it was horrid at the time, a bad bout of asthma (after bronchitis caught on the NZ cruise) has at last persuaded me to stop smoking for good! So that is one healthy outcome from 2011. Here's hoping 2012 is healthy and happy for all my friends, family ..... and us, of course.

Update October 2011

Eion has made a good recovery from his prostate surgery and we are looking forward to our cruise to New Zealand next month. Even tho' this was supposed to be a test cruise to see how he felt about holidaying on board a ship, he has already booked the next cruise - to northern Europe next June! We have been seeing family and friends - enjoying lunches and dinners with them and also showing off the new back yard to those who have been around for barbecues. Last night we attended a mini-reunion for my medical year at The Apothecary Wine Bar in Hindley St - lots of fun, and some new faces as well as the usual suspects. Yesterday also saw us celebrating the outcome of Cindy-Lee's court case -a custodial sentence for her abuser.

Joshua has been travelling to Japan and China with his work. He and Jen have bought another house in Sydney and are renovating the previous one before they sell it. He continues to enjoy his track motorcycle and his days at Eastern Creek emulating Casey Stoner. Sadly he and Jen are unable to conceive a child despite many cycles of IVF. But their dogs are doing well now that their illnesses have been diagnosed and controlled with medication.

Our Great Dane has had a health scare - she has cardiomyopathy but at the moment seems to be doing OK on medication to regulate the heart beat. The Boxer is as mad as ever! And Dizzy continues to prove her prowess as a great "ratter".

I am still enjoying my Latin lessons with Andy Katsaros and contract bridge is a weekly pleasure although I seriously need to think about learning more and advancing my skills.

Such sad news.

Sadly, my niece Jenne Leigh died in the RAH on July 13th. Since talking to her brother who was in frequent contact with her during my trip abroad and a medical colleague whose team was her primary medical carers, I have learned how desperately ill she was. Added to that is the awful truth about her very sad life, and so most of the family, including Jenne's mum can now accept her death as a release from great suffering. Despite this she brought much joy to many people and we all believe she is now a free angel who will keep watch over all of us. Cindy and Marcus gave her earthly embodiment a wonderful send off at a memorial service in the garden of her home. The tributes were moving and there was much laughter as well as tears.